Deploys.

Israel-Hamas war rages as US deploys additional missile defenses to Middle East

By Rhea Mogul, Andrew Raine, Rob Picheta and Sophie Tanno, CNN

Updated 9:09 AM ET, Sun October 22, 2023

Israel-Hamas war rages as US deploys additional missile defenses to Middle East What we're covering

The Israel Defense Forces said it will increase its aerial bombardment of Gaza. The IDF's chief of staff also told commanders Saturday that the military will "enter the Gaza Strip" and initiate an operation to take out Hamas, but he did not provide a specific timeframe. The Israeli military has escalated its operations in the occupied West Bank, striking a mosque early Sunday to thwart what it called "an imminent terror attack." The Palestinian Health Ministry said three people were killed in the rare airstrike. It comes amid a wave of violence against Palestinians in the territory. The Biden administration is seeking to delay an Israeli ground incursion in Gaza, according to two sources briefed on discussions. This will reportedly allow for the release of more hostages in Gaza as well as providing more humanitarian aid to the besieged region. The Rafah crossing was briefly opened on Saturday morning to allow the first convoy of aid trucks to enter the besieged Gaza Strip from Egypt. But more help is desperately needed in Palestinian territories, where the situation continues to worsen. In response to the recently escalating situation across the Middle East, the U.S. military is dispatching additional missile defense systems to the Middle East and placing additional U.S. troops on standby. Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza: 11:03 a.m. ET, October 22, 2023

US seeks delay of Israeli ground incursion to allow more time for hostage talks

From CNN's Alex Marquardt

An Israeli soldier guides an armored personnel carrier on October 21, in Southern Israel. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

The US government has pressed Israel to delay its imminent invasion of Gaza to allow for the release of more Hamas hostages and aid into Gaza, according to two sources briefed on the discussions.

The Friday release of two Americans held by Hamas signaled the possible freeing of more of the around 200 believed to be kidnapped by the militant group after its deadly attacks two week ago.

“The [administration] pressed Israeli leadership to delay because of progress on the hostage front,” and the need to get trucks of aid into Gaza, one person familiar with the discussions said.

The National Security Council did not immediately respond for comment.

When US President Joe Biden was asked Saturday if he was encouraging Israel to delay the invasion, he responded: "I'm talking to the Israelis."

Qatar, acting as a middle man for the US and Israel, has been leading the discussions with Hamas about releasing the hostages since they were abducted by Hamas two weeks ago. According to a diplomat briefed on the talks, the negotiations have included talks about getting much-needed aid into Gaza and the need for a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out. Israel has not indicated they are considering a ceasefire.

Hamas does not appear to have gotten anything concrete out of the Friday release of Judith Tai and Natalie Raanan.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a statement Saturday they were prepared to release two "detained individuals" whom they identified by name. “The same procedures" used to release the Raanans would be employed for the new proposed release, the statement said.

The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the claim Saturday evening, saying it would not comment on "false Hamas propaganda," adding Israel's government would "continue to do everything necessary to bring all the captives and missing back home."

An official in the Israeli prime minister’s office told CNN on Friday, after news of the Americans’ release, that it may have been an attempt by Hamas to lessen the Israeli military response.

“That [military] pressure isn’t going to go because they were released,” the official said. “It won’t change the mission, which is to dismantle Hamas.”

10:09 a.m. ET, October 22, 2023

Israeli prime minister warns if Hezbollah joins war it will be "devastating" for Lebanon

From CNN’s Florence Davey-Attlee and Sarah Dean

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18. Evelyn Hochstein/Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if Hezbollah decides to join the war, he will be harmed "with unimaginable force."

“The impact on both (Hezbollah) and the Lebanese state will be devastating, but we are prepared for any scenario,” Netanyahu said during a visit to northern troops on Sunday.

In the video, Netanyahu tells the commandos: “We are fighting a battle for life, a battle for our families. This is not an exaggeration. This is war. It’s ‘take it or leave it’ – they have to stop.”